Top 5 sport climbs under mid 5.11 anywhere in the USA hua? Good luck, there is not a single person alive that truly knows the answer to that, there are well over 10,000 sport climbs in the USA in that grade range and no one has climbed all of them.

It also depends what you like, if your into pumpy overhanging jug hauls you probably wouldn't consider some thin technical slab to be classic where as someone else may consider such to be the best type of climbing in the world.

Red Rocks, Nevada. Definitely a great place to go. You can camp out very nearby, then just hit up a bunch of climbs all day. There's a ton of great walls out there. The black corridor is fun if you want to be close enough to other climbers to have a conversation in your downtime.

Personally, I enjoy the Devil's Punchbowl, CA, but I don't know if it's a place I'd drive/fly out to. It's more of a nice place to go if you want a day of hiking and chill climbs, or if you just happen to be in the area.

Otherwise, there's always Joshua Tree. I haven't been there yet (pathetic for a Californian. I've really got to go soon), but rarely do I hear anybody knock it.

You live in Tennessee dude! The Red, The New, all the stuff around Chattanooga!

The east has the best sport climbing besides a few select areas out west. If you were climbing 5.13 I might say go to Rifle or Smith but at you're grade you should just go spend a month at the Red. THEN... AFTER THE RED... go spend the rest of your time at the New.

If you really want to go out west you should look into UT. St. George has lots of sport but the stuff at your grade isn't the most classic. Maple Canyon and American Fork are kinda the same. Mill Creek, while very small, does have some excellent 5.10 and 5.11. Not enough climbs to be a destination but some of the better sport I've done in the US.

Seriously... you're crazy to go out west. You couldn't have possibly climbed all of the 5.11's w/in your weekend territory.

You live in Tennessee dude! The Red, The New, all the stuff around Chattanooga!

The east has the best sport climbing besides a few select areas out west. If you were climbing 5.13 I might say go to Rifle or Smith but at you're grade you should just go spend a month at the Red. THEN... AFTER THE RED... go spend the rest of your time at the New.

If you really want to go out west you should look into UT. St. George has lots of sport but the stuff at your grade isn't the most classic. Maple Canyon and American Fork are kinda the same. Mill Creek, while very small, does have some excellent 5.10 and 5.11. Not enough climbs to be a destination but some of the better sport I've done in the US.

Seriously... you're crazy to go out west. You couldn't have possibly climbed all of the 5.11's w/in your weekend territory.

Dude, he'd be crazy not to want to travel to other parts of the country or world if he has time.

The as mentioned above, Red Rock is excellent. What month are we talking, that could narrow down some location.

dont get me wrong man i love the climbing in tn, and the red is awesome but i always see these routes with amazing exposure and views in co and utah so i wanted to check them out. Plus its inspiring for me to climb in a different landscape then im used too

For sure man... you gotta explore. But I hope you've been to the New... It's some of the best sport climbing I've ever done and the trad is even better.

The west is pretty huge. You get great views, position, exposure. But in my experience the rock in the east is just meant for hard single pitch climbing (aka sport climbing). You'll find bomber solid rock out west, but I didn't climb any bolted rock as solid as the Nuttal Sandstone at the New. I'm kind of a trad climber though so maybe that means more to me.

I am heading out to Wyoming for some alpine stuff next summer and I've been told that there is excellent sport climbing at Ten Sleep and around Lander. In fact, I'm thinking about skipping Colorado all together to spend more time in Wyoming!

I'm territorial. No one will ever convince me that the climbing is any better out west that it is in the east (even though it is probably better in CA). I'm slowly hitting all the good places out there... just to have some ammo when I get into arguments The Utah Desert and Cochise Stronghold were pretty damn impressive!

The west is pretty huge. You get great views, position, exposure. But in my experience the rock in the east is just meant for hard single pitch climbing (aka sport climbing). You'll find bomber solid rock out west, but I didn't climb any bolted rock as solid as the Nuttal Sandstone at the New. I'm kind of a trad climber though so maybe that means more to me.

I'm territorial. No one will ever convince me that the climbing is any better out west that it is in the east (even though it is probably better in CA). !

Nuttall is pretty special, I describe it as granite proof with sandstone holds, completely unique...

So it the Corbin sandstone @ RRG. You really won't find better sport than between the NRG and RRG, but, having climbed out in many places west, a few areas to check out:

For sure man... you gotta explore. But I hope you've been to the New... It's some of the best sport climbing I've ever done and the trad is even better.

How did such a committed trad climber ever spend so much time on Phi Phi, perhaps one of the world worse climbing destinations.

First of all, I said that I'm "kind of a trad climber." I wouldn't call myself "committed" to any kind of climbing. I climb whatever happens to be nearby the place that I want to live.

On Phi Phi, I had a job that I loved, and by Thai standards my salary, standard of living, and vacation time were amazing. I was able to come and go as I pleased and use Phi Phi as a base to explore SE Asia. I could travel anywhere, anytime, knowing that I had a job and a free place to live when I got back to the island. I helped out a local family for three years, ensuring that they would have a way to earn money forever. The tsunami destroyed the lives of a lot of people... i was able to help some of them put their lives back together. So I guess the answer is, I was able to spend time there because of a lot of things other than climbing.

To call it the worst climbing destination in the world is pretty strong. Sure there are tons of parties at night, lots of drunk young tourists, and the island is over crowded. But some people enjoy a little bit of the modern world mixed in with their simple life (gasp).

As far as as the climbing goes, there is unlimited potential for first ascents, and some of the biggest rock climbs in Thailand, all in my front yard. The rock is just as good as anywhere else in SE Asia, including your beloved Phang Nga Town park. Maybe you just don't climb the grade that it takes to have a good time on Thai limestone?

I've been all over the world my friend. Phang Nga is great... but it's not the only great place in the world to live. You might have found your paradise, and that is wonderful. Maybe it's time to realize that everyone's paradise is different. The vast majority of the people I know, climbers or not, wouldn't want to live in Phang Nga, Phi Phi, Tonsai, or anywhere else in SE Asia.

I think it's time you get up off your high horse, stop ranting about capitalism, crowding, etc, and explore the world again. You told me yourself that you haven't been to Phi Phi or Tonsai since the 90's. How can you sit back and talk about places that you haven't seen since one of the biggest natural disasters in history completely changed them all? I for one am a bit tired of it.

At the risk of bringing down the wrath of climbers in New Mexico by alerting the rest of the U.S. about the great climbing to be found here...

If you're driving, and you take I-40 west (which seems to be the most direct line between TN and Red Rocks or SoCal), you might consider checking out the climbing in New Mexico. Great options to consider for sport climbing include Enchanted Tower, El Rito Sport, Palomas Peak, Diablo Canyon, White Rocks, Las Conchas, and Tres Piedras. There's lots of others (e.g., Cochiti), but these will give you a good sampling...which you would choose would depend on weather/time of year.

BTW - Never been there, but Wichita Mountains Wildlife Reserve (near Lawton, OK and not far from I-40) seems to have some sport, is on the way, and might be worth a stop...

Depending on how you want to go from New Mexico, options could include detouring up into Colorado (hitting Penitente, Shelf Road, Garden of the Gods, among many other areas) before heading west again. Or head directly to Moab (a visit to Indian Creek is great even if you don't want to climb trad - and I'm sure that you could link up with other climbers to get in some routes - or I think there are sport climbs in the Moab area) before going west. Or go west through Arizona (Jack's Canyon), up through Zion (again, worth a visit, and there are some sport routes there, I believe) and through St. George (apparently, lots of sport climbs). No matter how you get there, you should spend some time in Las Vegas/Red Rock Canyon: the sport climbing is awesome...

Anyway, I certainly haven't answered the question of the top 5 sport climbs. Some of the areas aren't even great by some standards (?Jack's). But, if you're planning a road trip out West to find them, then the above should keep you entertained on the way.

But the big issue for planning your trip is "when?". Some of the areas would not be fun after about late April given the heat....but some of the higher altitude and north-facing walls would still be great in the summer.

Safe climbing, Chris PS - I'll throw in my $0.02 on climbing out east: GREAT climbing, of course. But the weather is so unpredictable (between spring rains and summer heat/humidity) that, if I had limited time or a specific travel window, I'd go west: weather is generally more stable, and even if it rains, it's usually over quickly and the typically low humidity means you can climb in some areas soon after (although sandstone areas need special consideration).

For sure man... you gotta explore. But I hope you've been to the New... It's some of the best sport climbing I've ever done and the trad is even better.

How did such a committed trad climber ever spend so much time on Phi Phi, perhaps one of the world worse climbing destinations.

First of all, I said that I'm "kind of a trad climber." I wouldn't call myself "committed" to any kind of climbing. I climb whatever happens to be nearby the place that I want to live.

On Phi Phi, I had a job that I loved, and by Thai standards my salary, standard of living, and vacation time were amazing. I was able to come and go as I pleased and use Phi Phi as a base to explore SE Asia. I could travel anywhere, anytime, knowing that I had a job and a free place to live when I got back to the island. I helped out a local family for three years, ensuring that they would have a way to earn money forever. The tsunami destroyed the lives of a lot of people... i was able to help some of them put their lives back together. So I guess the answer is, I was able to spend time there because of a lot of things other than climbing.

All good reasons.

In reply to:

To call it the worst climbing destination in the world is pretty strong. Sure there are tons of parties at night, lots of drunk young tourists, and the island is over crowded. But some people enjoy a little bit of the modern world mixed in with their simple life (gasp).

As far as as the climbing goes, there is unlimited potential for first ascents, and some of the biggest rock climbs in Thailand, all in my front yard. The rock is just as good as anywhere else in SE Asia, including your beloved Phang Nga Town park. Maybe you just don't climb the grade that it takes to have a good time on Thai limestone?

I've been all over the world my friend. Phang Nga is great... but it's not the only great place in the world to live. You might have found your paradise, and that is wonderful. Maybe it's time to realize that everyone's paradise is different. The vast majority of the people I know, climbers or not, wouldn't want to live in Phang Nga, Phi Phi, Tonsai, or anywhere else in SE Asia.

I think you have me confused with someone else, I have never climbed at Phang Nga. I know it's near you, but I haven't bothered.

In reply to:

I think it's time you get up off your high horse, stop ranting about capitalism, crowding, etc, and explore the world again. You told me yourself that you haven't been to Phi Phi or Tonsai since the 90's. How can you sit back and talk about places that you haven't seen since one of the biggest natural disasters in history completely changed them all? I for one am a bit tired of it.

While I do often get on a high horse, I don't really complain about crowds and I have never ever spoken badly about capitalism, quite to contrary, I support capitalism much more than 99% of the people on this site. I believe in business and that I know for sure money is what makes the world go round. (That is why I live and work in Asia. (Japan, China, and now Indonesia where I am starting a new business)

My first trip to Tonsai was in 2000 and I been back a few times. Like you, I've hit a lot of climbing areas around Asia, including Phi Phi just last month. (Wasn't that crowded actually)

I'm pretty sure you have me confused with someone else, and I am 99% sure I know who. Someone you and I seem to see eye to eye on.

Anyways, in my opinion, Phi Phi was one of the worse climbing areas I've visited ina long time. it's a nice crag if you're a local, but it's not worth traveling to Thailand in my book.

Sort of like Malibu Creek, Goat rock, or any other local crag, they are good if you're a local, but most are not worth a international trip to climb.

My biggest problem with Phi Phi was that they were not as many routes as climbers are lead to believe. I heard it from every climber I spoke with there. Several of us were upset at being mislead. (Not by you)

You're right man... I totally confused you with someone else so you can disregard the second half of that post. So sorry. It wasn't intended for you!

As for Phi Phi, I hope I didn't mislead you. In fact I wish I would have told you more about it so that you could have had a better time.

I don't think I would even call the island a climbing destination. The only thing it's really a destination for is partying, but there are many other things to do. For people going to climb, I usually recommend a week. I also mostly recommend it to 5.8 to 5.10 climbers and I think you are climbing harder than that.

From our emails a few weeks ago, it seems as if you did miss a lot of the best climbing though. Summiting Tonsai Tower and doing the ledge routes that start 100 meters up the wall is pretty amazing. I think I asked if you did this and you didn't answer. The rest of Tonsai Tower isn't anything to write home about. It's really great for beginners though.

Also, if I recall correctly, you didn't climb at Hin Tak, Ao Nui, Ao Ling, or at any of the areas on Phi Phi Leh. I wish you would have... they are all pretty awesome. Much better position than TT or the Drinking wall and better climbing as well.

Either way, I think that Phi Phi is a tough place to get a feel for. If I didn't have work and friends there I would not step foot on the island. In fact, I skipped over it the first time I went through Thailand and didn't go there until after I had already been offered a job. I planned to stay for a month or two and fell in love around the 6 week mark.

It's wild, crazy, and not really my scene. However, by living there, I am able to find my own scene and avoid most of the madness... unless I want to go out, then I can do that too.

I think it also makes a difference that I had a trad rack, a drill, and a boat. I kind of fell into a cool situation where this was all available to me and most people don't get to have that experience in Thailand. Being able to search out new areas with the intention of new routing definitely changed my perspective on the entire country. I'm not sure how good of a time I'd have there if I was just visiting.

Anyways, sorry again for the mix up. Wasn't trying to start a fight (not with you anyways). Take care.

You're right man... I totally confused you with someone else so you can disregard the second half of that post. So sorry. It wasn't intended for you!

No worries.

In reply to:

As for Phi Phi, I hope I didn't mislead you. In fact I wish I would have told you more about it so that you could have had a better time.

I don't think I would even call the island a climbing destination. The only thing it's really a destination for is partying, but there are many other things to do. For people going to climb, I usually recommend a week. I also mostly recommend it to 5.8 to 5.10 climbers and I think you are climbing harder than that.

I don't care about the difficulty, in this case, I was disappointed in how little climbing they was.

In reply to:

From our emails a few weeks ago, it seems as if you did miss a lot of the best climbing though. Summiting Tonsai Tower and doing the ledge routes that start 100 meters up the wall is pretty amazing. I think I asked if you did this and you didn't answer. The rest of Tonsai Tower isn't anything to write home about. It's really great for beginners though.

My wife and I did every route, every pitch on Tonsai tower. We climbed every routes on Monkey beach, including some with really bad bolts. (If I have my gear, I would have fixed them. I am sure they are on the list with locals already)

In reply to:

Also, if I recall correctly, you didn't climb at Hin Tak, Ao Nui, Ao Ling, or at any of the areas on Phi Phi Leh. I wish you would have... they are all pretty awesome. Much better position than TT or the Drinking wall and better climbing as well.

We did all the routes on Drinking wall except one.

In reply to:

Either way, I think that Phi Phi is a tough place to get a feel for. If I didn't have work and friends there I would not step foot on the island. In fact, I skipped over it the first time I went through Thailand and didn't go there until after I had already been offered a job. I planned to stay for a month or two and fell in love around the 6 week mark.

I will not be stepping foot there again.

In reply to:

It's wild, crazy, and not really my scene. However, by living there, I am able to find my own scene and avoid most of the madness... unless I want to go out, then I can do that too.

I cans ee that, but I have no desire to live there either. Glad some people do. If I were a Scuba diver and a climber, I would consider it.

In reply to:

I think it also makes a difference that I had a trad rack, a drill, and a boat. I kind of fell into a cool situation where this was all available to me and most people don't get to have that experience in Thailand. Being able to search out new areas with the intention of new routing definitely changed my perspective on the entire country. I'm not sure how good of a time I'd have there if I was just visiting.

I agree, living somewhere is different from vacationing there. After ten years in Asia and over a 1000 new routes, I don't go chasing first ascent on climbing vacation trips.

In reply to:

Anyways, sorry again for the mix up. Wasn't trying to start a fight (not with you anyways). Take care.

No worries.

As for your comment, I agree, one week on Phi PHi is plenty. We climbed almost all the established route in a week.